ISLAMABAD: The long-awaited negotiations between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) began on Monday in Islamabad, aimed at addressing ongoing political issues in the country.

The talks were held at the Parliament House and were presided over by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq. Key figures from the government included Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, PM’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, PPP leaders Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Naveed Qamar, and MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar. On the PTI side, former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza, and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas attended.

Notably, some key PTI members, including Omar Ayub and Ali Amin, missed the session due to prior commitments. Irfan Siddiqui expressed optimism about the talks, highlighting the focus on Pakistan’s development and prosperity. Speaker Ayaz Sadiq also underscored the importance of senior political figures’ involvement, emphasizing the seriousness of the negotiations. He expressed hope that the discussions would focus on the country’s betterment. During the negotiations, PTI presented initial demands, including the release of all detainees, including party leader Imran Khan, and the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the events of May 9 and the D-Chowk firing incident. Asad Qaiser confirmed that PTI’s stance was clearly presented, and they planned to submit a comprehensive charter of demands in the next meeting on January 2.

PTI also called for contact with Imran Khan, a demand the government agreed to. SIC chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza clarified that PTI sought fact-finding missions and not unconstitutional relief, focusing on the release of political prisoners, including Imran Khan, and the investigation of specific events.